Fruit gatherer



.lx me 23, 1931. s, PAVLQFF 1,811,328

FRUIT GATHERER Filed April 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/Zil- Stephen .Pavlojj,

S. PAVLOFF FRUIT GATHERE'R Ju ne 23, 1931.

Filed April 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fatented June 23, 1931 PATENT OFFlfiE STEPHEN PAVLOFF, OF CAMAS, WASHINGTON FRUIT GATHERER Application filed April 7, 1927. Serial No. 181,766.

This invention relates to fruit gatherers and graders and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and more eilicient in use than those which have been heretofore proposed. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a fruit gatherer which may be po- 1 sitioned beneath a tree and receive fruit shaken or thrown therefrom which fruit after being segregated from such leaves and twigs as are unavoidably removed from the tree with it, will be automatically deposited in suitable receptacles, positioned beneath the 'gatherer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the class described in which the operation of segregating the twigs, leaves and immature or imperfectly developed fruit may be carried on continuously.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out 4 in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate like parts in all the views:

. Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the as fruit gatherer and grader constructed in accordance with the present invention:

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1., as viewed from the left of the said figure;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional plan view of the grading and segregating portion taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 4-4.- of Fig.5; and,

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional View taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 3.

As will be more readily understood from an inspection of the drawings, the device comprises two complementary elements, A and B, which except for the fact that one is right handed and the other is left handed, are substantially duplicates of one another. In view of this duplication, the description will be confined principally to one of the elements, it being understood, however, that the other element contains substantially counter parts of the various features about to be set forth.

Taking the element A for example, it will be seenthat it comprises a frame work 10 mounted upon wheels 11, whereby it may be readily transported from place to place and having a suitable tongue or other tractive device 12 whereby such moving may be accomplished. The said frame work coniprises uprights l3 and-horizontal members 14: to which are secured the inclined endwise extending arms 15 and the laterally extending arms 16. The arms 15 are shown as comprising two sections 17 and 18 hinged together as at 19 and in similar manner the arms 16 comprise two abutting sections 20 and 21 hinged together as at 22. Suitable catches 23 and 24 are provided upon the respective arms opposite the hinges l9 and 22 in order to prevent the unintentional breaking of the hinge joints when the device is in operation.

Secured to the arms 15 and 16 is a suitable fabric or other member 25, which in the extended or open; positions of the arms is stretched to provide a yielding sloping surface adapted to be positioned beneath a tree for receiving the fruit after it shaken or thrown therefrom. As will be readily understood from the drawings, when the two elements or sections A and B are properly positioned, one on each side of the tree, the fabric members 25 present an inverted ti'llllcated pyramid, it being understood that the meeting edges 26 of the said members 25 overlap, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3, and are secured together by suitable fastenings 27. Each of the elements A and B is provided with a small fabric member 28 near the bottom of the members 25, supported by transverse frame members 32, hinged as at 33 to the inner horizontal members 1a, which will be more fully described below. It will be noted that the apertures 31, while long. enough to extend completely across the Width of the grading mechanism, are relatively narrow, from which it results that they are adapted to control the discharge of the fruit from the catching mechanism and to also, to some extent, distribute the fruit over the entire width of the grading dev1cethat is to say, owing to their narrowness theywill prevent the fruit from being fed to the grading device so rapidly that it will 7 pile up thereon to such an extent that the grading operation will be imperfect and portions of the leaves, twigs and imperfect fruit be passedthrough the grading device without segregation.

The grading mechanism shown more particularly in Figs. 4 andzb, comprise a grate like structure 35 having longitudinally extending supporting members 36 and transversely extending spacedbars37 supported upon said longitudinals. The spacing of the said bars 37 is dependent upon the particular fruit to be gathered and is preferably so selected thatthe apertures between the bars 37 will permit the immature and imperfectly developed fruit as well as the twigs and leaves to pass there-through while preventing the perfectly developed fruit from doing so.

It will be noted that the grate like struc ture 35 is rigidly built into the framework 10 and is inclined downwardly from the aperture3l so that fruit deposited in. the

upper end of the said structure, through the aperture, will roll by gravity along the bars 37 to the lower edge of the grader. During this movement, of course, the immature fruit 7 as well as the loose twigs and leaves will fall through the spaces between the bars whi-le the perfect fruit will pass along the upper surfaces of the bars to thelower edge of the grader.

Positioned at this said loweredge, is a pair of chutes 40, and 41 which arealso inclined as will be clearly understood from Figs. 1 and 5 and the bottoms of which are composed of spaced bars 42, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. These chutes are adapted to discharge fruit received from the lower edge of the grader structure 35 into a suitable receptacle or box 43 placed beneath lenses the discharge ends of the said chutes, as will be clear from Fig. 1.

In order to facilitate the segregation of the twigs and leaves from, the fruit, the bars 36 and 37 of the grader. structure 35 are preferably provided with a plurality of upstanding pins or pegs 45 which. serve to catch and deflect the leaves and twigs and assist in causing them to be passed through the openings beneath the bars while at the same time: not materially retarding the passage of the perfect fruit to the chutes 40 and 41L This separation of the leaves and twigs is also furthered by the provision of depending fabricstr'ips or flaps &6, the lower edges of which rest upon the grader'bars but which.o'win to their fiexibilit will freely permit the fruit to roll beneath them although t1 ey will tend toremoveany twigs and leaves adhering to the said fruit.

The manner of using the apparatus'will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art being understood that the two elements A and B are. positioned one on either side of the tree, as shownin the drawings, with the arms 15 and 16 and the fabric members 25 carried thereby in their extended positions, whereupon the limbs of the tree may be shaken in any suitable manner to causethe ripe fruit to be loosened therefrom and fall on to the fabric members. Owing tothe inclination of these members, the fruit together with a certain amount of: leaves and twigs will roll under the influenceef gravity to the apertures 31 "through which. they will drop onto the grader structure 35 Where the twigs, leaves and immature fruit will drop through the spaces between the bars 37 while the perfect fruit will-con tinue down to the chutes 40. and 41 and be Eleposited in receptacles 43 provided thereor.

Although. the arms 15 and 16 have been described as hinged and foldable and the member 25- as being comprised of fabric whereby it may also be folded for facilitating moving of the apparatus and economizing in space in the storing of the same, it will be obvious. that where such considerations are not important, the said arms may bemade in one piece and if desired the fabric members 25 may be replaced by w00d,1netal or other rigid material. a r

While one form of the invention has been thus illustrated and described, it is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the detailsof construction as well as the precise arrangements of parts without departing, from the spirit of the invention and-therefore it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims; 1 7

What is claimed is: o

1. In a fruit gatherer of the class described, a pairof mobile units adapted to be Ill) positioned one on each side of a tree, each of said units comprising a frame having a plurality of arms upwardly and outwardly inclined from the tree, said arms each composed of a plurality of abutting members; hinge connection between said arm members; fabric members secured to said arms; and means for preventing the unintentional breaking of the hinge connections between said arm members.

2 In a fruit atherer of the class described, a pair 0 mobile units adapted to be positioned one on each side of a tree, each of said units having a plurality of arms upwardly and outwardly inclined from the tree, each of said arms composed of a pair of members; hinge connections between each pair of members, whereby the outer member of each pair may be swung upwardly and inwardly to reduce the outside dimensions of the units for transportation; and fabric members secured to said arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

STEPHEN PAVLOFF. 

